The Buddha was known as The Happy One. Though Joy is one of the Seven Factors of Awakening, with so much emphasis on working with suffering, joy can sometimes seem frivolous or unspiritual. His teaching on attending to the ‘Gladness Connected with the Wholesome’ is a key aspect of Wise Effort and developing a loving heart. We will practice and explore together this foundation for awakening joy.
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Practice as a Way of Remembrance
Recorded :
October 18, 2020 Many are referring to this time as apocalyptic. Fair enough. It can seem as though everywhere we turn a dismantling of some sort is in the works. While we might intellectually feel able to embrace the change upon us, for many it can be easy to fall into overwhelm, hopelessness, even despair. What do the…
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Communication, Clarity and Consequences
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September 30, 2018 Everything that we write matters. Everything that comes out of our mouth matters. Important communications require calm and insightful reflection afterwards. Wisdom and Liberation of the voice support each other. Clear communication with another (spoken or written) expresses itself freely from the extremes of positivity and negativity. The middle way shows itself in exploration of…
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Meditation in nature as a path of wakening.
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March 27, 2016 Mark explores how mindfulness practice in the natural world can help bring peace, insight, compassion and freedom.
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Embracing the Radical Act of Rest
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April 27, 2025 In times of global challenges and uncertainty, we often respond with fear-driven action, guilt, or survival mode. Yet the simple act of resting offers a powerful path to liberation. By connecting with our bodies and trusting the ground beneath us, we cultivate ease that naturally supports the awakened mind. When we act from deep rest,…
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Settled Form, Steady Heart: Qigong for Mindful Presence
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October 26, 2025 When our physical energy feels restless or flat, it becomes harder to meet our inner experience with care and attention. This is why embodied practices such as qigong and mindful breathing are valuable: they help settle our body, making it far easier for our heart to find a steadier, more skillful unfolding. Please join this…
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Reflections on Time and Timeless Awareness
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June 8, 2025 What if the concept of time is part of our suffering? In this talk, we’ll look at the impact of our attachment to schedules and productivity and explore the ways that Buddhist teachings challenge these conventional understandings. By investigating our relationship to time, we learn ways to practice and to cultivate liberation from suffering for…
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Consuming the Chaos: Exploring Surviving Suffering in a World of Suffering
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March 28, 2021 Buddhadharma is a system of profound wisdom that helps us to tell the truth about our lives. It helps us to consume the chaos of the world we are struggling through by reminding us of the spaciousness that is always inherently present in and around anything we experience as suffering. When we connect to this…
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A Skilful Dance: The Three Characteristics Of Life and The Winds of Dharma
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June 7, 2020 (Please note that, due to problems with the video streaming platform on the day of this session, this talk was unfortunately not recorded in its entirety.) In this session Ralph explores using the Winds of Dharma to gain insight into the Three Characteristics of Life. The ocean of consciousness can be equated to life’s characteristics…
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